Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis throws up his hands after an aborted foul shot against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 27, 2008, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Nearly two weeks after Warriors guard Monta Ellis had surgery on his left ankle, the mystery lingers as to how exactly he got hurt - and whether it will prompt the team to discipline him.

Ellis initially told club officials he sustained the injury while working out in Mississippi - but the injury actually "happened outdoors and not while playing basketball," an unnamed team source told the Contra Costa Times over the weekend. The newspaper reported Ellis has informed Warriors officials how he really hurt his ankle, though its source did not reveal the details.

The Warriors declined comment Monday, leaning again on last week's official statement, which read: "We are not going to comment until we have an opportunity to speak with all the appropriate parties involved."

Ellis sustained the injury - a high ankle sprain and torn deltoid ligament - Aug. 21. Soon after his surgery Aug. 27, suspicions swirled that he might have lied in telling the team how he was hurt.

Ellis signed a six-year, $66 million contract with Golden State on July 24. If he sustained the injury while participating in an activity prohibited in his contract, the Warriors could seek to void the deal. Given their commitment to Ellis as the post-Baron Davis face of the franchise, the Warriors more likely would fine or suspend him.

The team's athletic trainer, Tom Abdenour, did stop in Mississippi on his way to an NBA-sponsored visit to South Africa late last month. Abdenour apparently made the visit to help Ellis prepare for his surgery.

Peer beyond the haziness and the central question remains: Will Ellis eventually regain the lightning-quick acceleration that makes him one of the NBA's rising young stars? One sports-medicine expert said the estimated recovery time of 3-4 months, given Ellis' injury, is probably a "little conservative."

Asked if the injury could hamper Ellis long-term, the doctor said, "If it's treated appropriately, it shouldn't limit him at all. Once he gets over the stiffness, he'll be fine."